I Entered the Villains’ Den While Pretending to Be a Righteous Man - Chapter 17

Bai Shuijin’s “faith” had struck Wang Huanxiu’s left pinky finger with the force of a leap, but fortunately, after a new set of X-rays, it was confirmed that there was no serious damage.

Once it was certain he could still play ball and the definitive news was delivered, Wang Huanxiu ended the call. After the line went dead, Fang Ming’s expression became somewhat subtle.

Jiang You asked, “What is it? Is Huanxiu not coming?”

“No,” Fang Ming replied, sounding uncertain. “I think I heard Bai Shuijin’s voice on the other end.”

“…”

As soon as those words were spoken, the group of commercially successful elite individuals looked a bit dumbfounded. Wang Huanxiu had claimed he had business and couldn’t come to play golf today; was the “business” actually staying home to accompany Bai Shuijin?

“How is that possible? You must have misheard.”

Fang Ming insisted, “The voice sounded just like his.”

Back when Bai Shuijin had run to the Wang family estate with a megaphone shouting about wanting to marry Wang Huanxiu, Fang Ming happened to be visiting for business. He had listened to the shouting for five minutes straight; that voice was etched deeply into his memory.

A friend teased, “Doesn’t Uncle Fang suffer from tinnitus?”

“What does my father’s tinnitus have to do with this?”

“It’s hereditary.”

“Get out of here!” Fang Ming laughed and cursed, “Your father is the one with presbyopia!”

As the group joked around, the VIP room door was opened from the outside by an attendant, and Lei Liming strode in.

He had a rugged appearance, looking quite formidable with a fleshy white scar running through the middle of one eyebrow, creating a “broken brow.” His aura was distinct from the others in the VIP lounge; though he was tall and burly, his movements betrayed a sense of caution and stiffness.

Clearly, he wasn’t accustomed to this environment; Lei Liming didn’t visit golf courses often.

“What took you so long?”

Jiang You tossed an apple to him. Lei Liming raised a hand to catch it, his voice gruff as he replied, “Traffic jam on the way.”

There was no caddy behind him to carry his equipment, nor was he dressed in golfing attire, because he simply didn’t know how to play. While most sons of wealthy families knew their way around a golf course, Lei Liming was different.

Although he was the eldest son of the Lei family, the first twenty years of his life had been spent in the countryside. He had been swapped by a Lei family nanny at birth and raised in a small mountain village.

The village was economically backward and didn’t care much for the “education” system. Relying on meager teaching resources, Lei Liming had miraculously made it into a top-tier university, and it wasn’t until his second year that the Lei family found him.

When they discovered him, Lei Liming was in the middle of slaughtering a pig for the Lunar New Year. His adoptive parents were butchers, and his greatest skill since childhood was slaughtering pigs.

However, once he was brought back to integrate into high society, his specialty felt like a clown’s act. He had been ridiculed plenty when he was first recognized; consequently, because he didn’t want to be mocked, he weighed his words and actions carefully. He held himself to high standards and was a diligent learner.

At the time of his return, the Lei family wasn’t as influential as they were now. At best, they were a family that had been wealthy in the past and fallen on hard times though even a “starved camel is bigger than a horse,” and they had no worries about food or clothing. Nevertheless, to earn recognition, Lei Liming improved himself while continuously growing the family business.

He had almost no room in his eyes for anything but work. He had pulled the Lei family up, and the social circles naturally accepted him. Lei Liming got along well with the likes of Wang Huanxiu.

But sometimes, compared to these young masters who had received elite educations from birth, he still felt inferior and tended to remain quiet.

He scanned the room and noticed Wang Huanxiu was missing. “Where is he?”

Fang Ming answered, “On his way. I think he spent the morning accompanying Bai Shuijin.”

Hearing those three words, Lei Liming frowned. To him, Wang Huanxiu marrying Bai Shuijin was a total waste like “a toad eating swan meat.” In his view, love only hindered professional progress, much like how a student’s puppy love affects their grades. Lei Liming didn’t have a specific prejudice against Bai Shuijin, but he didn’t have any good feelings for him either.

By the time they emerged from the hospital, the sun shower had stopped.

Bai Shuijin sighed toward the sky, “If you are well, it is a sunny day.”

Wang Huanxiu strode past him, and Bai Shuijin hurried to keep up, his feet pattering. “Hubby-bro, wait for me! I walk slowly.”

Wang Huanxiu turned back to find that Bai Shuijin was avoiding the clean pavement and specifically walking through the snow. The accumulation was thick, reaching his ankles.

Bai Shuijin pointed to the deep pits he had stepped out, “Steadfast and reliable.”

“…”

Once Bai Shuijin had played with the snow to his heart’s content, the two got into the car. Sitting inside, Bai Shuijin was already starting to look forward to the sport of golf.

Though he had never played, he had seen it using a club to hit a ball and then maintaining a follow-through pose for a few seconds. He felt he could do it, but one mustn’t be complacent; one must maintain a humble heart.

They soon arrived at the golf club. Just approaching the grounds, Bai Shuijin felt the sheer magnitude of the place. Despite it being winter, the greenery was lush.

“Hubby-bro, what if I don’t know how to hit the ball later?” he sat in the car, looking troubled.

Wang Huanxiu glanced at him, “There are coaches inside.”

“What if the coach can’t teach me either?”

“There are fruit platters inside.”

“…”

Fruit platters were quite nice. Bai Shuijin felt successfully comforted. He had a sudden flash of inspiration: “Hubby-bro, you really know how to comfort people.”

“…”

A friend who was making a call in the hall saw Wang Huanxiu entering through the main doors from afar. Just as he was about to wave, he noticed a handsome youth following two steps behind him.

The youth looked to be in his early twenties with rainbow-colored hair. It didn’t look gaudy or flashy; instead, it made his features appear even more bright and moving, catching the eye immediately. The friend’s gaze was drawn to him unconsciously.

The youth was like a magnet, pulling in the gazes of everyone around.

Wait, rainbow hair? He remembered Bai Shuijin also had rainbow hair.

“F—!”

His old father on the other end of the phone snapped, “You brat, what did you just say?! You think your wings are strong enough to talk to me like that?”

“No, no!” the friend quickly explained, “Dad, I wasn’t talking to you.”

He hurriedly said a few words and hung up, his gaze remaining fixed on that strikingly beautiful person.

Damn! The person behind Wang Huanxiu couldn’t actually be Bai Shuijin, could it?

Before he could get an answer, he shook his head in denial. Impossible; he must have seen wrong. His father had presbyopia, after all.

Hanging up, the friend returned to the VIP room. “Huanxiu is here.”

“Where is he?”

The friend reported what he saw, “He’s outside and will be here soon. He brought someone with him.”

“He brought someone? That’s rare. Who is it?”

“I don’t know, but…” the friend hesitated, “but he felt like Bai Shuijin.”

“Your father has presbyopia, don’t talk such nonsense.”

“…”

Enough! Apologize to my father!

It was indeed rare for Wang Huanxiu to bring someone, given that the workaholic usually traveled alone. As he walked in, several pairs of eyes looked behind him simultaneously.

Sure enough, as the friend had said, Wang Huanxiu really had brought someone. The youth was about 175cm tall; though his height was significantly shorter than the rest of the group, his proportions were excellent. He was wearing a down jacket that made him look round and soft, appearing both small and obedient.

His face was as small as a palm, but his features weren’t small at all. He looked at his surroundings with a sense of youthful clarity, appearing as if he had only just started university. He followed closely behind Wang Huanxiu like a little chick.

He was very beautiful the type that is stunning at first glance and remains pleasing to the eye.

Fang Ming asked, “Huanxiu, who is this you’ve brought along?”

Wang Huanxiu glanced behind him, indicating the youth had his own mouth, then walked to the side to exit the “historical stage.”

With the person behind completely exposed, Bai Shuijin didn’t act shy. He wanted the fruit platter in this VIP room.

“Hello everyone, I am Bai Shuijin.”

“…” “…” “…”

The air in the room fell silent instantly. Everyone simultaneously recalled if their family had a history of tinnitus.

Bai Shuijin blinked and walked to Wang Huanxiu’s side. “Hubby-bro, you are so kind.”

“?”

“Having so many mute friends.”

“…”

Everyone except Jiang You was dumbfounded. This was Bai Shuijin? The 2D “painted face” from the wedding?

The obedient and beautiful youth before them was Bai Shuijin! Killing them directly would have been more reasonable. Even in a circus, the person who goes into the box and comes out is the same person, but Bai Shuijin.

Everyone turned their gaze toward Wang Huanxiu. Previously, they had pitied him for his “difficult life” and mourned for him at the wedding, yet here he was secretly enjoying the “good stuff” behind their backs.

Brothers’ hearts are connected, yet you’re playing mind games with your brothers.

Jiang You was the first to stand up, “Welcome, welcome.”

In this group, he was the one who had seen Bai Shuijin the most. Bai Shuijin was close to Pei Zhiheng, and he had expected some trouble during this game planning session, but from the few words Wang Huanxiu had mentioned, he knew Bai Shuijin’s life at the Wang house consisted mostly of eating and sleeping.

Though he hadn’t caused any trouble yet, no one could be sure where his heart truly lay. But since Wang Huanxiu hadn’t said anything, they didn’t need to care. “The one who drinks the water knows if it is cold or warm.” Or perhaps this little spy truly had skills.

With one person leading the way, Bai Shuijin soon integrated into the group. Only one person remained cold toward him: Lei Liming, who sat in the corner in silence.

Bai Shuijin had specifically changed into golfing clothes, put on gloves, and even donned a hat. He picked up Wang Huanxiu’s club, eager to try.

Starting with a warm-up, Bai Shuijin copied Fang Ming’s form swinging the club and turning his shoulders in a superb pose.

“Nice shot!”

Everyone looked at the ball, which was still sitting on the tee.

“…”

Seeing Bai Shuijin’s expectant gaze, Fang Ming laughed lightly, “What are you looking for? The ball hasn’t even been sent out yet.”

Bai Shuijin didn’t even blush. “Pardon me. My family struck it rich suddenly; my aura just hasn’t caught up yet.”

At his composure, Lei Liming’s body in the corner stiffened. He had previously felt quite inferior because he couldn’t play golf, and no matter how he learned, he couldn’t get it he was naturally uncoordinated.

Bai Shuijin soon found a coach. After an hour of learning, he finally hit his first ball.

Watching the ball roll far away, Bai Shuijin noted, “The trip was not in vain.”

He then handed the club to a caddy, said a casual thank you, and ended his battle for the day. Though he had sent the ball out, it was 90% a coincidence.

Wang Huanxiu hadn’t taken the field yet, sitting in the back and watching.

“Huanxiu, come on, it’s your turn.”

Bai Shuijin cast an inquisitive gaze. Fang Ming explained, “In this group, Huanxiu is the best player.”

So Wang Huanxiu has this skill too? Bai Shuijin held a lychee in his hand, preparing to watch the performance.

The latter rose, took a club, and walked to the position. After confirming his target, he swung the club with a clean, sharp motion. His arm strength was evident as a shoo! sounded, and the ball traced a beautiful arc through the air. A gust of wind caught the hem of his clothes.

Bai Shuijin clapped like a harbor seal. “Good! Good abs! I mean good shot!”

“…”

While the group was playing, Bai Shuijin found it boring after a while. He turned and spotted Lei Liming in the corner and picked up a fruit platter, looking for a “platter partner.”

He sat down beside him and stuffed a green fruit into his hand. “Eat this.”

Lei Liming looked at the fruit that had suddenly appeared in his hand, having no intention of eating it.

Seeing that he had never once taken the field, Bai Shuijin asked, “Why aren’t you playing?”

Lei Liming spoke the truth, “I don’t know how.”

“Isn’t there a coach?”

Having his sore spot poked, Lei Liming’s face darkened. “I can’t learn it even with a coach.”

Oh, so he’s just like me.

Bai Shuijin took a bite of an apple, his cheeks bulging. “Maybe we both just have a fear of heights.”